iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max: reviews, new features, specs and release

Apple’s latest iPhones made their debuts at its biggest event of the year back in September.

The official launch, at the company’s California base last Tuesday, confirmed earlier rumours that the new iPhone 11 would not only feature the firm’s latest-generation mobile processor, but also a cutting-edge triple-lens camera system on range-topping Pro models.

In another big change, Apple has reworked the nomenclature for its new handset series. The standard iPhone 11 now serves as a replacement for last year’s budget device, the iPhone XR, while the iPhone XS and XS Max have been superseded by the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max respectively.

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Here’s everything you need to know about the new line-up, including what the critics had to say:

iPhone 11 Pro reviews

One of the more noticeable new features on the iPhone 11 Pro is the revamped Super Retina XDR display. The panel is now compatible with Dolby Vision content, bolstering contrast ratios and packing in more detail to make films and shows feel “more immersive”, notes TechRadar.

However, the “notch” at the top of the screen, which first appeared on the iPhone X two years ago, is still present and the curved edges are identical to that of Apple’s previous two iPhone generations, the site says.

Some fans feared the new, square-shaped camera would look unsightly compared to the slimmer dual-lens system on the XS and XR series. While Stuff admits that the new triple-lens system “looks a bit funky” at first, buyers are sure to grow fond of it.

As for the pictures it takes, the iPhone 11 Pro delivers a “noticeable improvement” on image quality over last year’s iPhone XS lineup, the tech site says. “The dynamic range is comparable to some DSLR cameras we’ve used, yet thankfully don’t look over saturated and overworked like we often find with smartphone cameras.”

Overall, 9to5Mac praises the iPhone 11 Pro as an “amazing” addition to Apple’s smartphone lineup. The camera is a clear step above the dual-lens shooter on last year’s flagship and the battery life on the larger 11 Pro Max is “up to five hours longer than its predecessor.”

However, the site argues that the changes on the Pro models do not “add enough additional value for most users to justify the price premium when you get many of the same goodies” offered on the regular iPhone 11.

What are the major new features?

At first glance, the iPhone 11 series doesn’t look all that different from Apple’s outgoing XS and XR range.

The standard handset [top] comes with the same 6.1in “liquid retina” display as that on the iPhone XR, with the signature “notch” at the top of the panel, says TechRadar.

And the 5.8in iPhone 11 Pro and 6.5in 11 Pro Max [above] both look almost identical to the outgoing iPhone XS and XS Max. However, the latest models get higher resolution OLED displays that offer brighter images than their predecessors, The Guardian reports.

Arguably the most important new feature of all can be found on the back of the new devices.

Both Pro models get a trio of 12-megapixel cameras equipped with lenses for standard, ultra-wide and portrait shots, says The Verge. The telephoto and portrait cameras also offer optical image stabilisation, which should iron out the effects of any shaky hand movements.

The standard iPhone 11, meanwhile, gets a dual-lens system that does away with the Pro’s portrait camera.

Both the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro duo are better optimised for shooting images and recording videos at night, too, meaning anything captured in the dark should be significantly brighter than comparable images taken on an iPhone XS.

Other improvements include Apple’s new A13 Bionic processor, which the company describes as its “most efficient chip to date”, reports Trusted Reviews. The chip can process six times faster than the previous version, while also using less power to complete intensive tasks such as gaming.

In terms of battery life, the iPhone 11 ekes out an extra hour over the XR, bringing the total time on a single charge to 17 hours of video, ten hours of streaming video and 65 hours of audio, according to 9to5Mac.

When it comes to general use, the iPhone 11 Pro offers four more hours of power than its predecessor, while the 11 Pro Max packs an additional five hours, adds Engadget.

Prices and colours

The iPhone 11 fills the void left by the XR as the cheaper of Apple’s new devices, at £729 for a 64GB model, while the 128GB and 256GB phones cost £779 and £879 respectively.

Above that sits the iPhone 11 Pro, at £1,049 for a 64GB model, £1,199 for 256GB variants, and £1,399 for 512GB phones.

At the top of the range, the iPhone 11 Pro Max carries a £100 premium over the iPhone 11 Pro.

As for the colour options, the standard iPhone 11 is available in white, black, green, yellow, purple and red.

The Pro range, meanwhile, is available in Apple’s traditional colours, Space Grey, Silver and Gold, as well as an all-new tone - Midnight Green.